1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image stabilizing apparatus, an imaging apparatus, a correction optical apparatus, and anti-vibration correction control.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, optical apparatuses, such as lens apparatuses performing anti-vibration correction control and imaging apparatuses equipped with such a lens apparatus have been disclosed in which vibration induced in the lens barrel by user hand-shake is detected and based on the detected vibration, an appropriate anti-vibration correction lens is moved to cancel out image blur resulting from the vibration. Such anti-vibration correction control is performed by moving an anti-vibration correction lens in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.
For optical apparatuses performing such anti-vibration correction control, the optical performance of the anti-vibration correction lens is verified prior to use. The optical performance of the anti-vibration correction lens is verified by applying an electrical current to an optical apparatus in which the anti-vibration correction lens is in an assembled state and maintained at a neutral position.
Among optical apparatuses performing anti-vibration correction control, an example of a conventional technology that is able to prevent damage from collision of the movable correction optical unit with a movable end when carried with the power off and that appropriately resumes image stabilization operation includes a movable correction optical unit constituting a part of an optical system for correcting image blur, a fixing unit that by rotating about the optical axis, fixes the movable correction optical unit at a movable central position on the optical axis of the optical system, and an actuating unit that in response to powering off, rotates the fixing unit and fixes the movable correction optical unit (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3192414).
Further among optical apparatuses performing anti-vibration correction control, an example of a conventional technology that is able to stably latch a correcting unit that decenters the optical axis further includes a retaining unit that latches and releases the correcting unit by rotating about the optical axis. The retaining unit has a cam unit abutting the correcting unit to latch the correcting unit at a latching position. The disclosed technology further includes an elastic unit pushing the retaining unit in the latching direction of the correcting unit. The cam unit of the retaining unit has a shape that when the cam unit is rotated in the latching direction by the elastic unit, the latching operation is not performed until after a given rotation range has been exceeded at the beginning of rotation in the latching direction (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3397536).
Yet another example of an optical apparatus that performs anti-vibration correction control includes a lens frame, a support mechanism, a detecting unit, an actuator, an actuator drive unit, a retaining member, and a pushing unit, and has a configuration that includes a locking mechanism that switches between a locked state in which the retaining member latches the lens frame thereby making the lens frame immovable and an unlocked state in which the retaining member releases the lens frame thereby releasing the locked state. Thus, the imaging apparatus is not affected by vibrations or impact, facilitating improved durability of the imaging apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-185677).
Conventionally, optical apparatuses, such as lens apparatuses performing anti-vibration correction control and imaging apparatuses equipped with such a lens apparatus have been disclosed, in which vibration induced in the lens barrel by user hand-shake is detected and based on the detected vibration, an appropriate anti-vibration correction lens is moved to cancel out the image blur resulting from the vibration. Such anti-vibration correction control is performed by moving an anti-vibration correction lens in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.
In such optical apparatuses performing anti-vibration correction control, conventionally, for example, a movable lens that is moved to correct image blur occurring as a result of vibration sustained by the camera is stored in a main casing forming the external body of an anti-vibration adapter that is disposed between a lens apparatus and a camera; to transmit light entering through the lens apparatus from an object, apertures are formed along the direction of the optical axis of the movable lens, in an anterior aspect of the main casing facing the lens apparatus and a posterior aspect of the main casing facing the camera; and a first lens is disposed in the aperture formed in the anterior aspect and a second lens is disposed in the aperture formed in the posterior aspect, making the interior of the main casing hermetic(see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-107785).
A further example of an optical apparatus that performs anti-vibration correction control includes an anti-vibration adapter between a camera and a lens apparatus, where a lens connecting unit identical to a lens connecting structure formed on the camera is formed on an anterior aspect of the anti-vibration adapter connected to the lens apparatus, and a camera connecting unit identical to a camera connecting structure formed on the lens apparatus is formed on a posterior aspect of the anti-vibration adapter connected to the camera (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-156695).
However, the conventional technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3192414 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 3397536 have a configuration in which the anti-vibration correction lens is held at a neutral position by rotating a ring-shaped member (fixing unit, retaining unit) about the optical axis, making the ring-shaped member an essential element in the configuration. Consequently, a problem arises in that the number of elements increases, thereby increasing the size and manufacturing cost of the optical apparatus.
Further, with the conventional technologies above, when the optical performance of the anti-vibration correction lens is confirmed, to put the anti-vibration correction lens in a locked state in which the anti-vibration correction lens is maintained at a neutral position and in an unlocked stated releasing the locked state, for example, an electrical current is applied to an optical apparatus equipped with the anti-vibration correction lens to electrically switch between the states. Consequently, for these technologies, the application of an electrical current is essential in verifying the optical performance of the anti-vibration correction lens and to apply the electrical current, the anti-vibration correction lens is disposed in the optical apparatus and a circuit for moving the anti-vibration correction lens to a neutral position is required, arising in a problem of burdensome work.
The technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-185677 has a problem in that the anti-vibration correction lens cannot be maintained at a neutral position and thus, the optical performance of the anti-vibration correction lens cannot be confirmed.
The technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-107785 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-156695 have a configuration in which an anti-vibration adapter is housed in a main casing, thereby hindering size reductions of the anti-vibration adapter and thus, hindering size reductions of optical apparatuses equipped with such anti-vibration adapters.